


The Imposter(s) Among Us

by embarrassingresultofmyfreetime



Category: Among Us (Video Game), Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Gen, Happy Ending, Love Confession, Murder Mystery, Mutual Pining, but it's also a story so things are going to be a little different, everyone basically operates with the same general rules of the game, for our main characters anyways, hand holding, it'll make more sense once you start reading, not so much the people who get killed..., post Skyfall p2 but pre-The Timeless Children, the Master is protective, the doctor is good at making friends and fixing tech, the master is good at social mind games, the setting is the skeld map, this is among us INSPIRED
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27274411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embarrassingresultofmyfreetime/pseuds/embarrassingresultofmyfreetime
Summary: The Doctor has been searching the universe for the Master, but it's only when she takes a break to help a damaged space vessel that she runs directly into him!The Doctor has a hundred and one things to ask him, but there's no time for any of that now. The ship is barely functional and if the mysterious murderer doesn't get to the Doctor first, then the trigger-happy crewmates might throw her out the airlock before the killer gets a chance.[Rated T for blood, gore, and physical violence.]
Relationships: Spydoc - Relationship, The Doctor & The Master (Doctor Who), The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor & The Master (Dhawan), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan), Thoschei - Relationship
Comments: 16
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Among Us is rated 9+ but there's murder and death and stuff so?? Consider this your warning: yes there will be violence and death and blood ect.
> 
> If everything goes as planned, I will be updating this fic just after midnight on the 30th through the evening of the 31st. Consider it a Halloween special lol

The Doctor sat in the doorway of her Tardis watching yet another peaceful nebula full of stars.

Spacedust swirled about more beautifully than Earth's Aurora Borealis. It was colorful and practically alive with the potential of new stars to be born from it.

The Doctor's fam was on Earth tending to their normal human-y lives while the Doctor did what she usually did these days- she looked for the Master.

She shouldn't be looking for him, she knew. She really, _really_ shouldn't be, and yet she was. There was something in that last message that haunted her. She wasn't sure _what_ it was exactly, but it drove a splinter deep in her hearts and she could only remove it by figuring out what the Master had meant.

It wasn't that Gallifrey was decimated, it wasn't the stench of death in it's air or the smoke or the fires that bothered her. Well- it _did_ , but that wasn't the motives behind her search.

It was that crackling agony that had spilled so freely from the Master's lips that fueled her.

"It wasn't easy for me," he'd said.

What the hell had he meant by that?

Sure he was selfish and cruel, but it simply didn't fit into place. The Master- on any other day- would _love_ to see Gallifrey burn. He would have _loved_ to be where the Doctor had once stood and watch their home burn and crash and crumble into the sand. To be a god watching the world turn to ash in his hands.

If the Master could do such a thing, and not show a spark of pride in it- then what kind of twisted hell awaited the Doctor? What truth- among all the lies- could possibly sour the victory the Master had always wanted? What could be so unbelievably terrible that one simple fact could ruin the way the Master defined himself?

The Doctor was scared to find out, and maybe that was why she continued to search. Maybe she just wanted to hurry it all up and find out already.

She still texted him sometimes as if he was O. She couldn't seem to stop herself. It remained a terrible habit, but he never replied anymore.

The Doctor liked to think the long dead spirit of O still looked at her messages and laughed a little from deep inside the Master's cold shell. She liked to think that... maybe it wasn't all a lie. Maybe it was a disguise, but the things O had said were too real, and raw, and honest not to come from _somewhere_.

The Doctor swung her legs over the edge of her Tardis and stared off into the beautiful night. She pulled out her phone and considered messaging him. Maybe...

Maybe she could message O back when he was still O. She could pre-date the message and send it to a few months back and let her heart warm with the thought of a bright smile on his lips because of her.

There had been a reason she'd never gone to see O again after the first meeting- and adventure- they'd had together. It was because the Doctor just _knew_ if she- or rather _he_ , back in the day- didn't leave, then they would invite O to travel with them. The Doctor knew they would. They wouldn't have been able to stop themself.

The Doctor had restricted themself to texting- and, okay maybe the occasional evening call- because of that simple fact. Because she was tired of losing people she liked.

Even now, even knowing O was the Master, some fragment of that was still imprinted on her hearts. Some part of her wondered if what O and her had been had ever meant anything to the Master.

She wondered if... she texted him again... would he humor her? If she called him... would he laugh so hard all over again? Just like he had all those late evenings talking about the universe and all it's incredible beauty? Maybe that was never _real_... but they'd exchanged too many things, been too honest and real and truthful, too much for it to have meant nothing at all.

The Master could be that again... if he wanted. Honestly, the Doctor was more than willing to forget all of this if he would only be that dorky, space loving, fascinating man she'd met multiple lifetimes ago once again.

The Doctor wondered if maybe she'd fallen so completely for O in the first place was because, at his core, he was an echo of the Master she had known back in their first life. The best lies were an echo of the truth after all.

The Doctor contemplated this, alone, in space, with her phone in her hand, and she wondered if perhaps she should forget about O altogether and throw the phone into the nearest star.

.... Or maybe she should go back to the first time they'd met and accept O's offer to kiss them goodbye.

Unlike so many others, O had _asked_ , gently, if he might kiss the Doctor in thanks for their help. The Doctor had hesitated, and so O had given a respectful nod and promised it was alright. Maybe next time, or maybe not at all, he had assured the Doctor with those deep, genuine, beautiful eyes that the Doctor believed without a second thought. The Doctor had almost wanted to kiss him just for how understanding he was- but the moment had passed and the Doctor had left.

The Doctor didn't have time to dwell any longer on what she should have done as a broken, burning, barely-functioning shell of a ship burnt across the sky in the corner of her eye.

She immediately leapt up and returned the phone to her pocket. She was the Doctor, and when people needed help she never refused.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Key at the end of the chapter bc I know it's difficult to keep track of 10 different characters lol

The Doctor's Tardis took rocky ride to the nearby ship. She dug out a pale blue space suit the wardrobe had made for her- which nearly matched the exterior color of her usual coat- and pulled it on. It was a great improvement from the clunky orange messes she was used to parading around in. This one was still a bit difficult to move around in, but it was tailored to fit her and she had a good visibility through the large dome headpiece.

Once she was dressed up and checked her oxygen supply, she pushed open the Tardis doors.

"It'll be alright," one of the many figures gathered around the large table in the middle meeting room was saying. His- assuming from the deep voice- suit was black with a box-y oxygen tank on the back and various controls on his chest.

The Doctor's headpiece had immediately picked up the frequency the group was talking on.

There had to be... 9 figures sitting around the large table. A strange number, but who was she to care about the details?

"It's just a bit of collateral. We've been through far worse," the man in the black space suit explained. He had a warm voice, a soothing one, with an almost parental authority, "the captain will get us through this too."

A few of the others nodded.

The figure in a deep blue suit appeared to be the most official, most likely the captain that the figure in black had been referring to. As the Doctor stepped closer, she could see metals on the stranger's suit to indicate as such.

"Exactly," the one in dark blue agreed and then took the lead,

"We'll split up the tasks so we can quickly fix the damage. We need someone to assess every detail of this ship so we can restore it to it's best self. The quicker we do that, the quicker we get to our destination safe and sound."

"Hello!" the Doctor introduced herself with a small wave once there was a lull.

She looked over the darkened helmets of each member in the group.

Dark blue appeared to be the captain, and the one in black most likely the optimistic second in command.

Along with the two of them was a figure in brown leaning close to the man in black. On the other side of the captain was a skeptical light green who stared ahead, steady and focused with arms crossed firmly.

Dark green sat next to him and had to turn around almost fully to see the Doctor from her seat. She was just a bit taller than light green and fidgeted her hands with contained nervousness.

The figure in white sitting next to her was larger than anyone else, but he leaned in non-threateningly to listen to their captain at the head of the table. He, too, turned at the Doctor's approach.

Then there was a small figure in yellow who leapt around to face the Doctor and flinched at her sudden introduction.

Next to them was a figure in a deep, almost royal purple, who was leaned back with his arms crossed. He was much bigger than Yellow but smaller than both Dark and Light Green and far smaller than White. At the sight of the Doctor, he leaned an arm to the table and tilted his head curiously. His body language showed him to be the most intrigued yet unbothered by the Doctor's presence.

Next to him was a bright red figure whose hands were locked onto the edge of the table like he was about to either break a piece off or flip it.

"I'm the Doctor! I was nearby and it looked like you could use some help! You really need to realign your engines!" the Doctor elaborated.

" _Another_ stowaway?!" Red slammed a fist into the table.

"Interesting," (light green... lime?) Lime said flatly, "That makes two since the sabotaging started."

"We've been through this once already!" Dark Green- or just normal green, replied sharply, in a higher but much more confident voice, "What reason would they have to sabotage a ship they're trapped on? Not everything is some brilliant mystery for you to solve."

"I didn't say it _was_. I'm just _observing_ ," Lime retorted through his teeth.

"Lime's right," Red agreed sharply, "If we'd just thrown the stowaway out the airlock earlier maybe we wouldn't be in this situation."

Someone sighed and judging from the head roll it was purple.

"Hey! Not this again!" Black said with an angry point across the table to Red. He had been the most optimistic thus far, but he clearly wasn't in the mood to deal with any nonsense, "We are not _killing_ anyone! What we _are_ going to do is fix the ship! Keep in mind that we haven't even proven that the damages are sabotage. There might just be something in the systems or lingering damage from the last asteroid field."

"Yeah, a space raccoon is really likely," Red hissed.

"I'm not a stowaway! I came here on my ship to help you!" the Doctor explained cheerfully.

"Who's your stowaway?" she then added out of curiosity.

All fingers pointed to purple. Except the captain, who clearly knew her crew would get the point across just fine without her input.

The figure in purple stood up and approached the Doctor. The white protective visor built into all their helmets' was down- as it was for everyone at the table- but the figure in purple slid his up just for her.

The Doctor immediately recognized that all too familiar grin.

"Hello, love."

"You!" the Doctor gasped.

"Two of a pair," Lime groaned. "Of _course_ you know each other. This one won't tell us his real name either."

The Master chuckled.

"A pleasure, as always," he greeted the Doctor warmly with a slight bow.

The Doctor rolled her eyes and pulled the white safety cover over the glass of her own helmet.

"Serves me right. I end up all over the galaxy looking for you and just when I stop, here you are! Causing the same trouble as always!"

"Hey now, I didn't cause this!" the Master protested with careful honesty. The Doctor suspected it was part of the act he was clearly putting up in front of their audience,

"Like Green said, why would I sabotage my own sinking ship? Come now, Doctor. You must know my self preservation instinct is stronger than my chaos-loving nature."

The Doctor considered this, "I suppose so. Fine."

The Doctor then pulled up a chair of her own. The Master also returned to his previous seat.

"You," the Doctor pointed to Dark Blue, "You're the captain, yeah? What's your plan? Happy to help!"

The captain calmly pressed a button on the table with the finger of her glove and a map popped up.

"We need to split up. Everyone select a few tasks and get going. We need this ship back to fully functional as soon as possible!"

"Yes, sir," an echo replied from everyone except the Master and the Doctor.

In seconds, everyone was off in a different direction.

The Master glanced around.

"Come on!" the Doctor's thickly-gloved hand reached for the Master's.

"Let's get going! You can tell me how you got here on the way!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Key:
> 
> 1\. Cyan- the Doctor [she/her]
> 
> 2\. Purple- the Master [he/him]
> 
> 3\. Dark Blue/Blue - The Captain [she/her]  
>  Relation: captain, well-respected  
>  Desc: reasonably tall, long brown hair  
>  Personality: calm and collected, well respected
> 
> 4\. Black- Second in Command [he/him]  
>  Relation: Older brother of Brown   
>  Desc: slightly taller than the captain, strong, tall, dark hair  
>  Personality: optimistic
> 
> 5\. Brown- Electrician [he/him]  
>  Relation: younger brother of Black  
>  Desc: light brown hair  
>  Personality: easily startled
> 
> 6\. Red- Pilot/Navigator [he/him]  
>  Relation: Often at odds with Lime  
>  Desc: medium height and build  
>  Personality: hot headed, quick to accuse, but is smart and can be swayed with proper evidence
> 
> 7\. Light Green/Lime- Strategist [he/him]  
>  Relation: Often at odds with Red  
>  Desc: reasonably tall, thin  
>  Personality: has read too many murder mysteries, logical
> 
> 8\. Dark Green/Green- Botonist [she/her]  
>  Relation: best friends with White  
>  Desc: dark curly hair, shorter than Lime  
>  Personality: very loyal, willing to do whatever is necessary as long as she can justify it, can be very kind when relaxed
> 
> 9\. White- Medical Professional [he/him]  
>  Relation: best friends with dark green/ green  
>  Desc: gentle giant, easily the tallest  
>  Personality: quiet, focused
> 
> 10\. Yellow- Engineer [they/them]  
>  Relation: respected  
>  Desc: shortest, youngest  
>  Personality: nervous, quick to warm
> 
> Location: Skield Map
> 
> (I've tried to include every description and relationship relevant to every character. Lmk if I should add anything :)


	3. Chapter 3

"It's not that terribly long of a story, really," the Master explained. He glanced about as they walked while the Doctor stayed focused on where they were going. The Master didn't appear to trust his surroundings. So much so, that his heavily gloved hand remained tightly locked in the Doctor's and he made no indication that he would let go anytime soon.

"I was in the Kasaavin dimension, you remember them," he said as casually as if he was referring to guests who had one stopped over for dinner.

"They were stalking spies all across Earth's timeline? Well, one such year was 4312- so when I finally broke out of their dimension, that's where I happened to end up. In order to call my Tardis across so much time and therefore distance; I needed some equipment. However, I don't exactly go around carrying 4312 currency, thus how I ended up a stowaway on this ship. It's just means to an end," he shrugged casually.

The Doctor finally let go of his hand as she reached her destination. The Master finally looked away from the empty halls and to the Doctor as she abruptly dropped his hand.

"What are you doing?" the Master asked as the Doctor took a knee to reach the circuitry.

"Like I said! The engines need to be realigned- so that's what I'm doing!" the Doctor cheerfully explained.

The Master let out a sharp breath. It might have been a huff of amusement, but the Doctor couldn't see his expression through the white-tinted lense of his helmet. Even so, she could safely assume he was rolling his eyes. The Doctor didn't say a word more as she turned to the task at hand.

After a minute or so, Red came out of one of the nearby rooms and passed the Master and the Doctor. The Master stared him down and blocked the only path to the Doctor who was sitting with her back to them both as she fixed the engines, per her own suggestion.

Red looked them over, but quickly passed them by. The Master remained the Doctor's look out and after a few minutes more, the Doctor was done.

"Shall we fix the engine on the other side now?" the Doctor suggested.

She couldn't see the Master's face, so she couldn't quite read him, but there appeared to be something off about him. He rarely went this long without making some kind of grim joke or vain comment. Instead, he seemed to be deep in thought about something he wasn't yet willing to share.

"Yeah," the Master finally agreed simply.

He stepped out of the Doctor's way and allowed her to take the lead. He followed close behind. So close that if the Doctor were to slow down, he would certainly run into her.

"I don't trust these people," the Master finally confessed.

The Doctor took his hand and pulled him along without any protest as the Master spoke. His voice rang soothingly in the crackly audio of the Doctor's helmet speaker.

The Doctor led him down the nearest hall and ducked around the large engine to align it the same way she had with the first one. The Master elected himself her guard and watched the nearby halls.

"Red is a hot head," the Master mused, "A good worker by the sound of it, but definitely a hot head. The captain definitely knows what she's doing, so I believe she can keep everyone from complete anarchy for now, but I've seen tensions like this before. Hell, I've _incited_ incidents like this before- just to watch everyone turn against each other. We have to be careful or they'll throw the both of us out the airlock at the first sign of trouble. They want someone to blame and we can't let them blame us."

The Doctor knew he couldn't see her nod so she spoke up, "I don't doubt you."

The Doctor soon finished the second main engine set up. The two large stations on the back of the ship provided the thrust keeping their travel steady. They were vital if the crew was going to get to the other side of this alive.

The Doctor had just stood up from her work when there was a loud, horn-like noise called for their attention.

The Doctor and the Master shrugged to each other and returned to the large cafeteria near the center of the ship.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm doing terribly short chapters this time around. I think that's just the easiest way to keep it all organized, I hope that's alright.

Everyone else was already gathered in the cafeteria when the Doctor and the Master arrived. Well, almost everyone. From a quick count of everyone in the room, one person was missing.

All 7 of them- excluding the Doctor and the Master- were already shouting at each other.

"What's wrong?" the Doctor immediately asked.

Whoever was in the brown suit sounded hysterical.

"They killed my brother! They- Who would do that? Who killed him?!"

' _Whoever was wearing black is gone_ , ' the Doctor commented directly to the Master's mind.

' _Black was the second in command. Not my favorite person, but a cheerful man. Who would bother to kill him? And why now?_ ' the Master replied.

Green, White, and the Captain in Blue tried to calm Brown who had apparently found the body.

Yellow sat nervously in the same seat as before, keeping their distance. Lime was asking Brown for details, where Black died, when Brown found him, who else they saw.

But Brown didn't see anything. He only continued panicking with his hands in fists against his helmet. He was crying, but did his best not to show it.

"By the communications hub, right? Who was over there last?" Lime asked the group.

As predicted, Red immediately turned to the Master and the Doctor.

"Did you kill him? None of this started until you two arrived!"

The Master stepped up and put his body between everyone else and the Doctor- who was understandably surprised by this gesture. She decided now wasn't the best time to draw attention to it.

"We were by the engines, fixing them just as the Doctor said she would earlier," the Master said calmly and steadily, like he knew exactly the kind of game he was playing,

"You _saw_ us working on them, Red. We have the least motive to hurt anyone and the least opportunity. You're smarter than this. Who was _actually_ over there?"

Whatever the Master's trick was, it absolutely worked. Red- and everyone else- turned away from them.

"I hate to say it, but he's right," Lime agreed, pacing as if he was some old detective from an ancient mystery novel,

"Who _was_ nearby?"

"I was fixing wires," Yellow spoke up, voice shaking. They sounded the youngest out of everyone.

"Well, White and I were doing wires and downloads right here in the Cafe," Green said.

"I went to check our course at the front of the ship," the Captain said calmly with crossed arms.

"I did a lap to assess the damage and then checked the oxygen supply," Red shrugged.

"A 'lap'?" Lime asked speculatively.

"Yeah," Red breathed sharply, "a _lap_. That alright with you Mr. Detective? You were never a fan of Black! You're not in a position to point fingers!"

Lime sighed, "That's true, but I wouldn't _kill_ him! And not with his brother so close by! That would just be foolish."

"You!" Brown said with a shaking hand, "You hated my brother more than anyone!"

He was pointing at Red.

"Me?!" Red defended, "Not enough to _kill_ him over it!"

"So we have nothing to go on," the Captain sighed heavily, quickly moving to diffuse the situation.

Everyone turned to her and things went quiet for a moment.

"Alright. Well... stick with a partner or group if you can. There will be time to grieve once we get out of this crisis. I need to finish correcting our course. We need to make an emergency stop as soon as possible."

"Yes, Captain," everyone agreed.

Everyone split off in seconds.


	5. Chapter 5

"That sure was something," the Doctor sighed as she led the way around the ship. The Master never fell more than a step behind.

"It is. Ruling out us and the brother as the killer- anyone else could have killed the second in command. Although Red seems too blunt to cover up something like that, and Lime is too pretentious. It doesn't mean anything for sure- but counting out the Captain-"

"You're not really trying to solve this murder, are you? We have next to no information! There could be some kind of creature on the ship moving through the vents! We don't even know if it's one of the crew!" the Doctor countered.

"We can't rule them out either," the Master added.

The Doctor grumbled slightly. She wasn't a fan of accusing strangers of murder without evidence. Still, the Master wasn't wrong.

"We'll just... have to avoid everyone for now," the Doctor decided.

The Master hummed something of disappointment. He glanced about for a moment before turning away and watching either side of the hall. Green and White ran past at one point, but that was about it.

"The Captain is alright. Steady, a good leader. Black was a good second in command, a much warmer contrast. Brown... is all but out of commission now that Black is dead."

The Doctor listened as the Master contemplated their situation. She had already been thinking the same thing, after all.

"Yellow is young, quiet. Nervous by nature. I'm not sure they could kill someone as big as Black with their own two hands. Green is a nice lady, but a bit intense. White is always with her, the gentle giant- but I know he was injured a while back. He can barely lift his left arm above his head. I honestly don't think he has the strength to kill a man right now.

That brings us back to Red, who probably is the best option, and Lime who thinks he's going to be the next brilliant mind to solve this mystery novel.

... am I forgetting anyone?"

"Blue, Black, Brown, you, me, Yellow, Red, Lime, Green, White. That's 10," the Doctor recounted.

"What's your theory?" the Master moved to lean against the wall. His voice was warm and knowing, curious to hear the Doctor's opinion.

The Doctor smiled at that. She finished with the wires.

"It's not me," she smirked.

The Master chuckled, a good, warm, familiar laugh.

The Doctor was glad for her visor, or the Master might have caught a glimpse of how fondly she was looking at him.

The two of them trapped on a ship with a murderer on the loose...

Her Tardis was parked nearby. They could leave anytime they liked. Still, neither of them had thought to suggest it yet. This was... almost fun.

"And it's not you either. You've been in my sights this whole time," the Doctor added with a bit of a laugh.

The Master nodded and the Doctor could hear his smile from the way he hummed.

Suddenly, a scream echoed through the empty halls.


	6. Chapter 6

Everyone ran to Navigation to where the scream had originated from.

In the main captain chair sat... what was, candidly, little more than the bottom half of the captain. The rest of her was nowhere in sight.

Her spine had been cut and full gallons of her blood were poured all across the metal flooring.

Brown was sitting to the left side beneath a panel of unfinished wires and threw up down a vent panel.

Yellow hung back in the hall, refusing to even enter the room.

Red was examining the body, but he hesitated, unsure what to do. Lime looked over the body with a body language that said this wasn't the first time they'd seen a gruesome death.

Green and White stuck close to one side, and Green appeared to be trying to calm White's towering figure.

The Doctor and the Master simply stared down the half-a-body for a long moment.

"The captain..." the Doctor said simply.

She stepped a little closer but the Master caught her hand and didn't let her.

' _Don't incriminate yourself_ , ' he told her from his mind to her own.

She nodded and kept her distance. He was right, after all. These people had no captain now and no second in command. The Master always did know how to play the social aspect of life just right. His experience might actually help her out of this situation.

The Doctor took it into account and filed it away. For now, they were captain-less and the ship around them was falling apart so quickly that it wasn't even safe to take their helmets off for more than a minute at a time. Something had to be done, and soon.

"Was the other death like this?" the Doctor asked bluntly.

She turned to Brown who was still curled up on the floor.

"Was it this... brutal?"

He nodded.

"So the Captain was trying to protect us! That's why she didn't tell us what happened to Black!" Red announced.

Red moved slow, as if he was feeling quite nauseous as well- but that was almost a good thing. It was natural to feel sick at the sight of something like this, which meant Red most likely was _not_ the killer.

The Doctor looked over the body. The wound was almost too clean and it would have taken far too long for any normal person to cut the Captain open this way. There was only one conclusion to come to- and it made the Doctor feel more than a little sick herself.

"No human could do this," the Doctor noted as she looked over the parts of the Captain that remained,

"Whatever did this had to be incredibly strong to do this kind of damage so quickly."

"White!" Red quickly accused the largest man in the room.

"No!" Both Green and White retorted sharply.

"I think what the Doctor is saying," the Master stepped up confidently, "is that who or what ever did this is too big to be hiding on the ship. It has to be one of us. Someone here... is an imposter."

The room fell silent at the Master's dramatic delivery.

Each crewmate took a moment to consider this. Red and Lime looked to each other from where they stood on opposite sides of the body, and then looked over to everyone else. Brown looked up from his psychotic break and fell silent at the possibility of being in the same room as the killer.

Yellow stepped back even farther, and even Green took a step back from White. Of everyone, only the Master took a step closer to the Doctor.

"We need to figure out who it is, but first we need to make sure this ship stays _together_ ," the Doctor announced. "As long as everyone stays with someone else, we should be able to fix things without any more deaths. Once the ship is safe, we'll sort this out."

"And what if we go with a partner and they kill us?" Brown wheezed, "I was with Black, turned around for a minute, and he was dead! What's to say the same thing won't happen again?"

The Doctor, surrounded by everyone, took a small step closer.

"I can't promise everyone will be safe, but it's our best option right now. If we stay here too much longer-"

The Doctor's intro to a rousing speech was cut short by a loud warning light blaring overhead. Red lights flashed bright and disorienting.

"The O2! Split up! We have to get oxygen back online!" Green announced.

Everyone sprinted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a nice brutal murder lol
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing the Master in this because I think he would be really good at this game lol  
> He's had experience getting away with murder, so I don't think it would be much of a stretch to assume that he would know what and what not to do.


	7. Chapter 7

Green and White went left with Brown and Lime chasing after them. The Doctor and the Master followed Yellow and Red as they went to the right.

Red put some kind of passcode into the system a room over from Navigation. A moment later, the emergency lights and obnoxious alarm stopped.

"I'm going to check the asteroid field," Red said, "When we were in Nav, it looked like we were getting close to the belt."

He headed up, to the left when exiting the O2 room, and leapt up into a big chair. His screen showed the nearby asteroids and he cued up the controller to take out any large bits in the path of the ship.

The Doctor nodded.

"I'll check the reactor. If O2 just went, that system might have taken damage. Last thing we need is that thing going."

Red nodded and so the Doctor left.

The Doctor led the way back through the main room- the cafeteria right?- and around to the engine she had worked on at the beginning. She glanced in a nearby room to see Green and White working in the Medbay. White was on the scanner and the Doctor ducked in to see that his results were normal.

White definitely _wasn't_ the killer. The Medscan flicked itself off again. Too bad they couldn't just scan everyone. Of course, that would be _too easy_.

"Just passing through," the Master assured them.

The Doctor left and made the rest of the way to the reactor. It appeared fine for now. She put a series of numbers into the controls.

"Don't you _dare_ touch-" the Master began furiously when the Doctor spun around.

"Oh! It's just you, Yellow! I love Yellow, such a nice color! Flowers and suns and life- but more importantly: How are you holding up?"

"M... Me?" Yellow asked, clearly caught off guard by the question.

"Yeah!" the Doctor said as cheerfully as she could muster. She stood up and went out to the hall to fix an exposed panel of wires. Yellow and the Master followed.

"You alright? I know this is scary, but if we focus on getting the ship working, then we can get to the other side of all this," the Doctor promised.

The Master settled himself close behind the Doctor and lifted the white vizor of his helmet slightly to glare at Yellow over the Doctor's shoulder.

Yellow quickly bobbed their helmet in enthusiastic agreement.

"Right! Of course! It's just... This is my first mission out here. I didn't expect _any_ of this!" they said shakily. Their hands fidgeted wildly.

The Doctor patted their shoulder.

"I don't think anyone did! But it'll be alright."

Yellow nodded, and the Doctor continued past them to check on an electrical grid that wasn't properly connected.

The Master followed. He checked the nearby cameras, but never took his eyes off of Yellow and their fidgeting hands for more than a few seconds at a time.

Yellow simply stood there.

"I hope so. Maybe... whoever's behind this will stop now?" Yellow suggested. They clearly didn't believe their own words, but they tried to be optimistic all the same.

"That's the spirit!" the Doctor applauded,

"Now come on. There's more work to be done!"

The Doctor caught the Master's hand as she passed him and his grip on her hand tightened in response. Their gloves made it difficult, but they were determined not to lose track of each other.

They passed the second re-aligned engine, and made their way to the massive electrical room. There were plenty more tasks to be completed after all. Yellow strayed along after them.

"There you are!" Red waved as the trio entered Electrical.

Suddenly, the lights went out.

' _Doctor?!_ ' the Master's mind called to her.

The Doctor reached for where the Master had been, but her hands simply passed through the open air.

' _Master!_ ' she shouted in return.

"Don't you touch him!" the Doctor shouted through the blackness. The only light she had was the one on her helmet and it wasn't doing much to illuminate her surroundings. Not to mention, her eyes weren't at all adjusted to the sudden darkness. They were all blind without the lights.

"Don't you dare! We can talk this out! Whoever you are! Whatever your reasons! We can discuss this!" the Doctor shouted into the dark, wondering if her reply might bring her a similar fate to the crewmates before her.

She _really_ hoped not.

It was darker than night. She couldn't see a thing. She heard a squeak, and the steps of someone, and a loud slam, and-

Suddenly, the Doctor felt arms tighten around her neck and the weight of someone against her.

Was this it?

No. Not yet. There was no sharpness of death, no knife to her gut, only the sensation of being held.

The Doctor quickly recognized the familiar purple engulfing her, illuminated only by the small, dim light of her helmet. The sickness in her stomach subsided as she suddenly realized that it was only the Master.

He pressed her into the right corner of the room, as if his dark purple suit could somehow hide them in the darkness. The Doctor felt the two sides of the wall press to her back. Even with their clunky outfits, the Master held her as best he could manage, with his back to the rest of the room.

The Doctor could feel in his mind that he was terrified. He was shaking and breathing heavily and his hearts were pounding hard enough to be the drummer of a punk rock band. Even despite it all, he didn't move. He only held the Doctor tight and did what little he could to keep her safe.

After a moment, the lights came back on. The Doctor tightened her hands around the Master's back and looked over his shoulder to see that- surprisingly- everyone appeared okay.

Red had fixed the lights and Yellow was just where they'd been before.

' _It's alright_ , ' the Doctor promised him gently.

Slowly, the Master loosened his locked limbs and allowed the Doctor to break away. She took him by the hand and didn't let go of it again.

"What was that?" the Doctor asked.

"Just the lights," Red replied, "but that doesn't help us. Anyone could have done it from anywhere. All it takes is a power surge."

The Doctor nodded.

"We should go to the cafe and take a headcount to see if everyone's still alive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I know what you're thinking! Why would the Master try to protect the Doctor?  
> And the answer is 1) Because this him has spent the most time with this version of HER and he doesn't want to have to start all over with ANOTHER Doctor and take his chances again. and 2) Because he's a dork and I love him
> 
> Btw, is italicies okay with everyone? I can underline things instead if that's easier. I know the font on here is a bit weird with italicies but I can change it upon request. Idk I'll leave it for now but let me know if it's difficult to read or anything.
> 
> I'll probably post the rest of this tomorrow. I want to go over the second half again before I post it.  
> Please tell me what you think! I don't usually write horror and I know it's not much, but it was a lot of fun to make so I wanted to share.  
> Please kudos, comment, bookmark, whatever you'd like. They're all appreciated!  
> Goodnight, everyone :)


	8. Chapter 8

The Doctor called a meeting and everyone still alive returned. Everyone except....

Cyan- the Doctor. Purple- the Master.

Yellow. Red. They had both been with them.

Lime. Returned from who knows where.

Green. White. Returned together.

"Where's Brown?" Red voiced the Doctor's with deep concern.

"Who saw him last?" Lime asked.

Everyone looked to each other.

"You did," everyone agreed.

Lime took a sudden step back.

"What? No?"

"Then where were you?" Red asked.

"Me? Where were _you?_ " Lime accused.

"In electrical!" Red replied, "Cyan, Purple, and Yellow saw me!"

"They watched you the entire time?" Lime raised his voice.

Red hesitated.

"I... suppose not. But you saw Brown last!"

"That guy has lost it! He went off on his own!" Lime defended.

"Why would he do that?" Green pointed out, "He was scared to death! Last thing he would ever do was go off on his own!"

"Now hold on," Lime said, something anxious creeping into his voice.

"It has to be Lime!" Red exclaimed, "I say we throw him out the airlock!"

Green looked about the room. By process of elimination, she realized he was right and gave a nod of agreement.

"Whoah! There's no need to kill anyone!" the Doctor tried to calm them.

It didn't take in the slightest.

She could practically _feel_ the tension build up all over again.

"Listen stranger," Red hissed as one of his hands slammed to his chest, his anger clearly swelling up from a place of fear, " _I_ am not about to get killed like the Captain and the 1st Officer! We didn't always get along, but they were _good_ at their jobs and _good_ people! I am NOT about to join them today!"

"He's right," Green crossed her arms and gave an even sharper nod of agreement.

"Lime _has_ been enjoying this far too much," Green explained, "We kill him, and no one else has to die. Me and White are getting home- I don't care what it takes."

"Hold on now!" the Doctor interjected, "You're talking about killing a man! You can't just-"

"Keep talking and your friend is next," Red hissed, "I've had an eye on him since the beginning and he hasn't done a thing to help fix our ship. And none of this started until _he_ showed up!"

All eyes turned to the Master.

Red, Green, White, and even Yellow- too afraid to go against the group- agreed.

"You can't be serious! Wait!" the Doctor countered.

Red and Green each caught Lime by an arm and shoved him through the airlock door. Lime slammed his fists on the thick glass as it locked into place behind him. Lime begged for another chance, but no one could hear him.

"Hold on! I can't let you do this! He might be innocent-" the Doctor moved to stop them and let Lime out.

The Master pulled her back and didn't let her get a step closer.

' _Don't. On the chance they're right, you'll only look like more of a target for trying to stop them. And if they're wrong... you don't want to be next.'_ the Master explained grimly.

The Doctor stopped trying to fight him and held his hand tight instead. She was glad he was there, because the Doctor couldn't look away from the scene unfolding before her.

Red pressed the 'Eject' button without another word.

Lime was immediately sucked out into space. To their collective surprise, his body split open to reveal an enormous mouth with razor sharp teeth and long tentacles of black goo. He floated off- and the Doctor wondered if he would freeze to death or just float along until another ship passed through.

The Doctor ran closer and watched out the window as the creature disappeared into the distance.

"Why didn't he just _talk_ to us? And why kill so many? He was clearly intelligent- what were his motives?" she pondered aloud.

"It doesn't matter," Red said, taking a seat at the head of the cafeteria table.

"As the next in the chain of command, I'm appointing myself the new Captain of this vessel. It's over now, and we'll be back home soon. Resume repairs and meet back here when you're done," Red decided.

Red was tired now. Drained even. Now that it was over, reality was sinking in.

"I'll try to contact a closer emergency landing site."

The remaining crewmates took a long look at each other.

The Doctor, the Master, Red, Yellow, Green, and White were left.

Everyone slowly split off again and returned to their tasks...

Somehow, it didn't feel like they'd won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This obviously isn't the end lol  
> Just getting things warmed up for the finale lol


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor and the Master finished the last of their necessary tasks- and by that, I obviously mean just the Doctor.

The Master had no interest in helping, it appeared. At least, none other than watching the Doctor's back.

The Doctor still didn't know what to make of it.

The weight of the things that had been done lingered heavily in the air. Four people had been killed today, on this very ship.

The Doctor tried to think of something to lighten the mood.

All at once, she smiled.

"Did you get that video I sent you?" she asked as casually as if this was another one of her evening conversations with O.

The Master immediately sensed it and responded exactly the same way the Doctor pictured O would.

"Of the guy getting framed for murder in that videogame? I'm ashamed to say, I burst out laughing. The timing was flawless."

The Master chuckled and for a moment, his mind was elsewhere. The Doctor reached over to raise the visor on his helmet so she could see his face. His expression was warm and thoughtful. His eyes widened the moment he realized she could see him.

"What?" he asked.

The Doctor shook her head softly.

"Do you still get my messages?"

The Master froze.

He pulled the external visor back down and turned away from her to stand as lookout. The Doctor sighed with a bit more disappointment than she'd intended to show.

"You know, Lime saved me some trouble," the Master confessed quietly. He warmed back up to his usual dramatic nature with each passing word, "I was an inside man for a job that would have led to the death of that second in command anyways."

The Doctor's torque wrench abruptly stopped clicking.

"You... were here to kill someone?"

"I need to get back to my ship," the Master explained as if he was only making polite conversation and not divulging that he was a hired hitman, "and to do that, I need money. Some of us have to do what it takes to survive."

He paused and the Doctor didn't know how to respond to that, so she simply didn't answer. She shouldn't be surprised anymore and yet a tiny part of her felt guilty. She was the reason he was in this position after all, but he didn't _have_ to be a killer. He never was going to change, was he?

The Master eventually spoke up again, as if finally voicing some well-worn thought,

"I don't know why you liked that little doe-eyed lapdog of a human, O. Who promised to come running the second you called. You only like your toys until push comes to shove and they break."

The Doctor wondered if he had spoken because he'd sensed her disapproval. Either way, he was wrong.

"He wasn't a toy!" the Doctor countered. And it was true. O wasn't someone the Doctor played with- At least not like that. She had held a deep respect for him. She never intentionally played with his emotions.

"I liked him! He was kind and adventurous and never let his fears stop him-"

"I know!" the Master suddenly shouted, going 0 to 60 that abrupt way he was prone to, "I made him that way! I tailored him for _you_. To earn your trust!"

The Doctor faltered, "Is that all it was?"

The Master's anger immediately faded, "What?"

"Didn't it matter to you?"

The Master's hands fell to his sides as he considered this. There was something hurt and yet defensive in his voice at the very suggestion,

"N-No! Of course not! That's just how you act with humans!" the Master hissed and tossed one hand aside, "You find a pretty one with wide eyes, an imaginative mind, and the patience to listen to you going on and on about the universe and... how beautiful is...."

The Doctor lifted her own vizor. She cut him off with an almost painful honesty,

"That's... not how I am with all humans," the Doctor confessed gently, "They... don't understand the way you did. I've never told anyone else the things I've told you."

The Master's breath got stuck somewhere in his throat. He then quickly cleared it and shook his head,

"No. That's- It was all part of the game!" he tried to excuse.

The Doctor was relieved to find that she didn't quite believe him,

"But you got in too deep didn't you? Got lost in it? How long has it been for you? To live like that, one call or text to the next? To wait for lifetimes?"

The words left the Master's lips with a heavy sigh. All that anger melted away into something the Doctor wasn't used to seeing from this version of him.

"Ages," he breathed.

The Doctor suddenly wished, more than anything, that they didn't have these clunky outfits on. She would love to see his gorgeous face and take his head in her hands and ease the tension in his hearts.

"Just one question," she asked softly,

"You were O. You played him. You knew what I wanted and... you gave it to me. Why not stay that way? Why not be my friend?"

The Doctor took his hands once more as she asked this. The Master tapped the front of his helmet to hers in response.

The Doctor couldn't see his face, and she couldn't feel him either, but his words were more than enough,

"Because how could I believe a thing you said when you only said them to one side of me?" the Master asked from a part of him that was deeply wounded. He quickly covered his damage just as fast with biting anger, "O was me- but I am _so much more_ than he _ever_ was! Caring about an act isn't the same as caring about who I ACTUALLY AM. I like to be dramatic, I don't share your views on morality, and I don't feel obligated to help a planet that's only ever hurt me. It doesn't matter that you liked perfect, patient, kind O- it matters that you like ME and can accept everything that I am."

The Doctor let out a small breath.

She could see that the Master was tired. He had been acting like he hasn't seen her in ages and the Doctor couldn't help but wonder how long it had really been for him since the whole Kasaavin thing.

He was so tired, so honest- and the Doctor couldn't believe the Master had really believed she didn't care about him anymore.

"You don't have to be O. You don't have to try to be who I want you to be!" the Doctor promised with a bit of a laugh at how ridiculous it all was, "When you told me the truth, I was angry at first, but I've realized that maybe O was just a different side of who you are! Either way, you should know that of course I don't expect you to be like him! And I definitely don't expect you to act like a 'perfect' human for me!"

"But you like him more-" the Master shook his head, confused.

"No, I don't like him _more!_ " the Doctor laughed,

"All those things you said? About how we need to find something to value in life because it keeps us going? All those very real things you told me all those late evenings, and _your own_ beautiful way of seeing the universe- those were all you, weren't they? Wasn't that you?"

"Of course it was!" the Master snapped, "That part... was all real."

"Exactly!" the Doctor grinned, "You weren't being nice in a trivial way because you thought I'd like it! You were being _real_. You could be blunt, and sometimes you didn't always say what I wanted to hear, but you listened and brought me a new perspective to things that _was_ ultimately helpful. I like you because you were brilliant and most of all- you were _honest_.

It's not O that I miss, it's talking to _you!_ "

The Doctor's hands tightened in his and she fought past their bulky gloves to lock their fingers together,

"It's just more difficult now because I can't stand watching all the death you surround yourself with tear you apart. You pretend to enjoy it, but I know it must hurt you. I know it does, because I can see the weight of it in your eyes."

The Master didn't look at her.

"You kept O at arm's length. You kept me away. I was just a pet to keep you from getting lonely-" he refused.

The Doctor shook her head and quickly stopped him before he could continue down that line of thinking,

"You weren't a pet! Not at all! I just... wanted... I- _I wanted to keep you safe, alright?_ "

The Master looked up at her sharply, shadows in his eyes from his half-open visor,

"From what?" he asked coldly, "From finding out about all your other human friends and how I wasn't actually special to you?"

"I wanted to keep you safe from me!" the Doctor burst.

The Master paused, and then gradually laughed. The dark mood lightened as the Doctor soon joined in. It really was a ridiculous idea now that she knew both sides of it.

The Master's hands tightened in the Doctor's as he finally acknowledged her grasp.

"Of course you were special! And you still are! I just don't know what to do with you!" the Doctor chuckled weakly, "No matter what I do to try to help you, it only ends up with more people hurt! I don't know how to help you and I'm tired of hurting you."

The Master began to laugh even harder.

"Doctor, you should know I don't care about any of that!"

The Doctor only paused, "What?"

"You seem to get all your little pets killed one way or another, but I've never minded any of that. I always hurt you, and you always hurt me. I know that's just the way these things go, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I only care that you recognize that I'm better than those human cockroaches. Kill me, and _I_ only come back stronger," he grinned.

The Doctor considered this with a chuckle,

"So you can act like anyone. Trick me into believing you're a defenseless human, betray me as an evil mastermind- and you were being serious? You just want my attention? To recognize you for being you?"

"You thought I was kidding?!" the Master gasped, playfully appalled.

"Of course you mean the most to me!" the Doctor said abruptly, as if it was a simple fact, "We've known each other all our lives! I remember the first day we met as easily as if it was yesterday! Is that really what this is about? Of course I love you for who you actually are! You're brilliant! I've always said so!"

"You... love me?" the Master breathed.

The Doctor's eyes widened. She'd forgotten about that bit.

"I- Shut up," the Doctor grumbled.

"Doctor..."

"Don't you start!"

There was a brief pause as both their heartsbeats pounded in their ears.

"I... have a certain place in my hearts for you as well," the Master said softly.

The Doctor drew in a sharp breath.

_Oh._

"R... Right. Well," the Doctor quickly dismissed the topic. If she let it continue any longer, the Master would never stop teasing her about it, "There will be time to talk about all that later."

"You're... not going to leave me here?" the Master said, sounding terribly like O and painfully surprised.

The Doctor took his hand even tighter.

"No. I'm not. We're going to fix this ship, get everyone remaining back home, and then you're coming with me. We'll talk, and... then I'll drop you back at your Tardis."

"R... Really?" the Master asked again in disbelief. This was the same Doctor who stranded him on Earth for 77 years after she'd thrown him like dog food to some of the worst humans to ever grace the terrible planet of Earth. Of course he was having a bit of a difficult time believing her.

"Yes," the Doctor said firmly, "but take a year off of murdering humans." She added half-teasingly, "Take a vacation or something, will you?"

The Master nodded. He rarely froze, but he could barely recognize the warmth taking hold in his cold hearts.

She loved him too? Really? Finally? It had been so long for him it barely felt real. All the terrible things they've put each other through, and the Doctor had finally said exactly what he needed to hear.

Even after everything he had done when he lashed out at the universe, even despite the many scars the Doctor was responsible for cut deep in the Master's skin, even after all of that- she loved him? All at once, it was if she could finally see him again.

But then a chilling idea stuck the Master once more like a dagger made of ice. She didn't know the truth yet. Not all of it anyways.

She had no idea the things the Time Lords had done to her. She might think she could forgive him... but she would take back every word once she learned of the secrets the Master already knew all too well. She would realize he wasn't the same as her...

The Doctor would realize that she really was more than him and go off searching for her past and become someone new who the Master could never hope to reach. She would leave him for good.

The Master didn't have time to voice any of this as the emergency meeting alarm went off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *fingerguns*  
> Have I mentioned that these two are dorks and I love them?
> 
> I'll try to have the rest posted by tomorrow


	10. Chapter 10

The Doctor took the Master by the hand and led the way up to the cafeteria.

Their eyes immediately landed on Yellow, sitting there in the same seat as always- now with their once cheerful suit soaked in blood. It was splattered over the white helmet cover and smeared down the front of their attire, an easy contrast to see.

"Yellow? What's happened?" the Doctor asked carefully, fear striking at her hearts.

The Doctor and the Master paced slowly about the room to see Red in the captain's chair. He looked chilled to the bone, terrified out of his mind. He barely moved, barely even breathed.

"It's Yellow," Red said quietly, "there were two imposters all along."

The Doctor stepped closer to Yellow but the Master didn't let her get more than halfway around the table. He moved his hand from her grasp and caught tight at the Doctor's wrist instead.

The Doctor paused, mid-step, and didn't fight him.

"Green and White..." Yellow said quietly.

"They did this?" the Doctor asked gently, almost hoping it might be true.

Yellow shook their head slowly and corrected,

"... are dead."

The Master stepped up next to the Doctor.

"You realize how that looks, don't you," the Master said flatly. Whether it was an observation or a question, no one knew.

His words were firm and cold, not at all the way he had been moments earlier. He had the range for more than O or the Master could ever be. He was more than ever before, more knowledgeable and more experienced. He knew this game, and he was going to win it. There was no doubt in his mind.

"I do."

Yellow nodded slowly, but then they paused and tilted their head slightly instead.

"But you two... were so kind to me," Yellow said slowly. They spoke like someone in shock, feeling nothing and yet far too much at the same time.

"What?!" the Doctor and the Master both exclaimed.

Yellow slowly pulled out a knife and fiddled it's tip down against the table.

"I was going to kill you, Cyan," they revealed. "I knew that would push Purple over the edge. He would take us all out avenging you... and then I could eat their dead bodies one by one."

Yellow shook their head, their voice softening slightly.

"But... you two are so sweet on each other. And Cyan, you were so... _kind to me_. I couldn't."

"You were going to do what?!" the Master exclaimed, fire igniting in his eyes. This time, it was the Doctor's turn to hold him back. She caught his arm and the Master stopped in his tracks.

He glanced back to the Doctor and a small growl escaped his throat but he said nothing more.

"A killer with a heart, is that your angle?" the Doctor asked, growing more outraged herself by the second,

"For what? These people were of no threat to you!"

Yellow nodded. Their nerves faded. There was no waver in their voice. Not anymore.

"Perhaps. Not at first anyways. I could play nice and sweet and innocent. I could get them all to believe I'm the last person who would kill any of them," Yellow mused.

Their visor was still down. It had never once been lifted. Their face would never be revealed, but a tentacle began to slip out from under their helmet. It slowly spiraled down their arm.

"I could be who they wanted, but the more I was, the more I knew what would happen when they found out I'd been lying to them. Lime and I... we grew so... so... _hungry_."

Another long, black, tentacle slid out from the helmet as Yellow- or whatever was inside them- monologued,

"It wouldn't matter once they found out that we weren't human. Once they knew what I had to do to stay alive, they would turn on us anyways. Lime knew it too... and... so _we ate them_."

The way Yellow spoke sounded the way a malicious grin looked. Goo flooded from the suit and licked up the splatters of blood.

"Our course was changed a week in to the journey. Lime and I could have survived without eating for weeks- but we would have been stuck here for months. Lime came up with the idea of sabotage so we could watch the humans run around in fear and get all those delicious chemicals worked up. They wouldn't be able to fight back if they were too busy trying to keep the ship together. Then we ate them- from the most terrified to the least."

Yellow- or whatever was inside of them- began to laugh now. The empty, broken kind of laugh that fell from the lips of the insane,

"Then Red convinced the majority to throw Lime out- so I fulfilled our plan myself. It has been... _delicious_."

Red didn't move. He was finally cracking, properly, under the pressure. He remained pinned in fear to his chair. A captain to a crewless ship.

"We can talk this out!" the Doctor promised,

"We can take you somewhere else. We can find you something else to eat. You don't have to be this way!"

Yellow stood up sharply. The knife in their hand cut into the table and cracked the display.

"Don't I?!" they shouted.

"I've told people before. I've been told I could get help. But they _all betray me!_ They won't accept me like this! They always hunt me down and try to kill me or they learn of my past victims and try to lock me up! I can't keep running from it! I know what I've done! I'm not ashamed! I did what I had to do and I see now that no one will ever accept that. Lime is gone, and I'm happy to join him, but I'm not going anywhere until I finish what he and I started!"

Yellow leapt up onto the table and sprinted across it for Red.

They were sent flying off the cracked glass as the Master leapt up and tackled them off course.

The Master and Yellow tumbled to the ground over the side of the table. The knife in Yellow's hand fell from their grasp as they tried to catch themself and slid away across the cold floor. It took Yellow and the Master a moment to collect their stunned bodies off the floor.

"You don't have to do this!" the Doctor promised as she leapt up onto the table herself and stared down at Yellow.

"So you've killed people before! So have I! And so maybe I thought I had my reasons at the time, I thought the ends justified the means, but I was wrong. Even after all of that, it's not too late to change! We can find a new way!"

The Doctor extended down a hand. Yellow sat up and stared up at her.

The Doctor lifted her visor and gave a hopeful smile.

Yellow only reached up and grabbed the Doctor's arm with both hands. With a sharp pull, they threw the Doctor to the ground as well.

The Doctor landed hard, even within the padding of her spacesuit to protect her, and Yellow quickly scrambled over them. The creature reached down with a deep black tentacle and wrapped it around her throat.

The Doctor did her best to fight back, but space suit gloves were bulky and not meant to be grabbing at black slime. Yellow's grip tightened enough that the Doctor was soon gasping for air.

"I told you not to touch her!" the Master shouted abruptly.

Suddenly Yellow screamed, and the grip fell limp.

The Master had cut the limb clean off with the discarded knife Yellow had been carrying.

Yellow screamed in pain while the Doctor pulled off the squirming black limbs and threw it aside.

Yellow leapt for the Master and pinned him down, hands pressing against hands. Yellow and the Master tussled over the knife as the Master pressed the blade for their suit and Yellow's hand caught the sharp wide. The blade pressed into Yellow's glove, but Yellow's abilities still proved far stronger.

Once they got a good grip on the Master, they threw him clean over the table with a loud crash.

The Master landed on the hard floor and fell still.

Yellow ignored both him and the Doctor as they turned for Red.

Red slid from the captain's chair and ran to the far side of the room where Lime had been tossed out of the airlock.

"This is my ship," Red breathed, "you're _my_ responsibility now!"

"No!" the Doctor shouted- but she wasn't fast enough.

The Master purposefully tripped the Doctor as she chased after Red and she crashed into the ground once more.

The last sound was of the airlock door sliding and clicking shut.

Both Red and Yellow were gone in an instant.

For a long minute... everything was silent.

Everyone else was gone.

All at once, the Doctor realized that they were the only two left.

"Why didn't they listen? None of them had to die!" the Doctor cried in outrage.

The Master breathed heavily but his words were lackluster, "Can you blame them? Years upon years of death and rejection.... It'll take more than a few kind words to convince them you won't stab them in the back too. Not that quickly. At least."

the Master then chuckled slightly, sounding more than a little delirious,

"The difference is... I've made my peace with the constant betrayal."

The Doctor slowly moved to her hands and knees, and then to her feet. She walked off slowly to her Tardis, understandably stunned by recent events, to where her Tardis was settled comfortably in a nearby storage closet. She was nearly at its door when she turned instead to the Master. He was still on the ground.

"Coming?"

The Master groaned as he dragged himself up onto one knee.

"Possibly. I... don't feel so well," he wheezed.

The Doctor quickly hurried over to the Master and pulled one of his arms over her shoulders to guide him. It took a moment to get him to his feet.

Together, they left the broken hull of a barely functional ship of dead passengers and escaped into the Doctor's Tardis. With any luck, the craft would still arrive at its proper destination. The Doctor had fixed the engines and the Captain had routed them to the nearest emergency landing site after all.

The Doctor helped her old friend to the inner steps of the Tardis and lowered him onto them. She pulled off his helmet.

"Forget about me," the Master breathed, "get us out of here first."

The Doctor sighed and went to her controls. She certainly didn't want to be here any longer either.

The Doctor flew her ship far away to some completely distant galaxy where a planet of green grass rested under a warm sun.

The Master got himself out of his spacesuit and the Doctor quickly pulled hers off as well. Once her Tardis was settled, the Doctor pulled open the doors for a breath of fresh air and then finally returned to the Master.

He was back on his feet by now, but more than a little unsteady.

"That was... terrible," the Doctor admitted with a heavy heart.

"Yeah. It feels like we won, but what a cost," the Master chuckled.

The Doctor didn't smile.

"They were doomed from the start, weren't they?"

The Master nodded.

He took a step for the door, but then paused.

"Are you okay?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm fine," the Master brushed her off sharply.

The Doctor chuckled and pulled the Master's arm over her shoulders once more.

"I believe you, but how about we go to the medbay and get a proper look at you anyways?"

The Master sighed but didn't try to shove her away.

"If we must...." he sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Easily my favorite chapter lol  
> I'm still kind of learning how to put together an action scene, but this one was really fun to write and I think it turned out okay enough. I welcome feedback but please have mercy tbh
> 
> Sorry about my completely arbitrary updating schedule btw, don't mind me. I'm just happy to get his all posted by Halloween.


	11. Chapter 11

Once a quick scan deduced that the Master wouldn't have any permanent damage and simply needed time to heal from the concussion he'd been given, the Master stubbornly made his way to the Tardis doors.

"See? I'm fine. No need to waste your time coddling me," he grumbled. "Is this where my Tardis ended up?"

"Should be," the Doctor crossed her arms and watched the Master make his way out as if nothing was wrong.

The Doctor opened the door for him and stood in the doorway as the Master stepped onto the grass outside.

"We should do this again sometime," he joked simply.

The Doctor didn't want to hesitate this time.

"Hold on a second," she called after him.

The Master turned to her once more and straightened his suit. The Doctor could see his mind working, calculating, pulling himself together into his best and most confident self. Once he was settled, he locked his hands behind his back and looked up to the Doctor.

"Yes?"

The Doctor swallowed hard.

"Do you remember the first time I met you as O? That adventure where we saved the Earth and I... may have... taken in interest in you all over again?" the Doctor asked.

The Master returned her words with a bright, knowing grin. There was something so soft and warm in his eyes.

"I almost blew my cover half a dozen times," the Master said with a laugh.

The Doctor chuckled, "You were an odd one, I'll give you that- but now that I know who you are, it makes sense."

The Master gave a tiny laugh, but then his expression shifted into something playfully curious.

"Why bring that up now?" the Master asked.

The Doctor stepped down from the frame of her Tardis.

"You asked to kiss me before I left, as a thank you."

The Master gave a firm nod. He didn't have the slightest bit of regret for asking.

"I did," he confirmed.

"Might I kiss you? As a thank you? If the crew hadn't thrown me out the second all of that started, that creature in Yellow certainly would have killed me. I'd have been dead more than once over if not for you."

The Master nodded, his cheeks quite red.

"You may, only if you'd like," he said with a small nod.

The Doctor reached out her hands for the Master's face.

The Master's hands quickly moved to cover the Doctor's hands. The Doctor could feel the scratchy touch of the Master's short beard and the short sides of his hair tickle her palms and fingers. The Master's fingers gently locked into the spaces between her own.

He looked... nervous, and for the first time the Doctor realized why.

They were touch-telepaths after all and he was opening up to her, allowing himself to be vulnerable. The Doctor could easily overwhelm his systems if she liked. The right jolt from her mind to his would easily collapse his mind onto himself. Or she could go searching and find all sorts of dark things he wasn’t ready to confess just yet. Either way, the Master tried not to show his hesitation.

"It's alright," the Doctor promised. Even as the Master's nerves began to seep into her hands, she didn't let his worry take hold. She gently ran her fingers through his hair and he shuttered with a sharp breath.

He closed his eyes as the Doctor carefully pressed her forehead to his. The Doctor had wanted to do this for so long with O, but for him and the Master to be one in the same felt like the universe finally rewarding her- or at the very least finally allowing her something nice, despite it being a double-edged sword.

"How long has it been, for you?" the Doctor asked.

"Since..." the Master cleared his throat softly, -"since we first met when I was O- or since the last time I saw you?" he asked.

"Since someone was genuinely kind to you for who you were," the Doctor asked gently.

The words of Yellow still rung a little too clearly in her mind.

The Master shivered beneath her touch. He didn't dare look at her as he bit back the tears in his eyes.

"I... don't know. When was the last time you said you loved me?"

The Doctor felt like she'd taken a knife to the chest.

The Doctor tilted her head forwards ever so gently until her lips met the Master's. She was careful and gentle, her lips just barely meeting his, and felt the Master's entire self flood with the rush. At the height of the sensation, right before it became too much, she broke away.

The Master was frozen still, his hands on hers and his eyes still closed. He opened them slowly with his hearts so full he worried they might burst.

"You okay?" the Doctor asked.

The Master nodded slowly in her hands.

"Yes. Of... course I am," he breathed quietly.

"Would you like to stay? Until you feel better at least?” the Doctor asked hopefully. She then tacked on the perfect excuse, "I wouldn’t be much of a Doctor if I didn’t offer now would I?"

The Master nodded slowly as he processed this. The Doctor pulled away and reached for the Master's hands when he suddenly stopped.

"All the things I've done-" the Master began.

"It's alright," the Doctor promised, "I know all of that. You don't have to do that anymore-"

"There's... There's more...." tears filled the Master's eyes now, "Doctor.... Have you gone back home?"

The Doctor's expression grew cold and she simply nodded.

The Master nodded sharply and pulled his hand away from hers. He ran his other hand over his face as he contemplated how to react with this. He took a step back to put some space between them.

"Then... you know," he nodded sharply. "You must be furious-"

"I was. At first," the Doctor nodded slowly, the good moment between them quickly fading away, "but it wouldn't be the first time."

The Master caught himself chuckling at that.

He kept his gaze fixed on the ground.

"Are you going to ask me why I did?" he finally found the courage to look up at the Doctor once more as his hand fell to his hip.

The Doctor looked him over and, for once, didn't let her own curiosity get the best of her.

"I was going to," she explained slowly. She then paused and reconsidered. She quoted his words back to him, "You said, 'It wasn't easy for me'."

The Master's hand fell from his side and his defenses flickered out behind his eyes, as if he'd simply forgotten he was supposed to maintain them.

For a second, he only stared at her, as if he suddenly forgot to act the part he usually loved to play. His deep eyes sparkled in the gorgeous sunlight so... mournfully.

"I've been wondering what you meant by that, why- after all your threats to destroy Gallifrey- you didn't seem relieved that it was gone... but..."

The Doctor paused once more and gave the Master a reassuring smile instead.

"No. Whatever your reasoning was, it hurt you. And honestly I'm a little homicidal raged-out for today. So, no. I won't ask you why you did it. Not today."

The Master blinked up at her, thankful, and then remembered himself. He shook his head sharply and regained his composure. He spared her one of his best smiles as he took her hand once more.

"Then.. yes. I'd like to stay. For a little while anyways," the Master wholeheartedly agreed to her invitation.

The Doctor grinned and did her best to cheer him up, "Excellent! And I'm sure you'll be healed up and back to betraying me in no time! We can get back to the old cycle of good and evil- until I change your mind, or until one of us finally kills the other, anyway!"

How the Doctor could make something so grim sound so wonderful was beyond either of them.

The Master smiled too, in a terribly weak facade. Luckily, the Doctor wasn't looking at that second.

"Right. Until... you kill me," the Master echoed with a daunting realization.

"Or you kill me!" the Doctor smiled, "It's always something to look forward to!"

The Master nodded. He did his best to forget the painful fact that that was quite literally impossible.

For now, they were friends again and they had survived that terrible game. That had to count for something. It _had_ to.

"Right." the Master nodded, feeling a bit sick at the fact that it was a lie, "Right...."

The Doctor slowly led him through into her Tardis once more.

"Now come on, you need to rest. I can't believe you're already up and about after getting tossed around like that!" the Doctor chuckled.

"What can I say? Can't get rid of me," the Master promised despite his hearts breaking.

They healed just a little at the sound of the Doctor's warm laugh and the bright smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Master? being hopelessly in love with the Doctor? in my fic?  
> More likely than you think.


	12. Chapter 12

The Master knew he would heal up in a day or so, but for once he didn't mind taking the evening off. The day had been filled with gruesome murders and a killer who got _themself_ killed because they knew it was all that was left for them.

The Master tried not to think about any possible parallels between Yellow and himself, nor the way he'd watched Gallifrey burn by his hand, and especially not the mystery of The Timeless Child buried deep in the Matrix.

Instead, he enjoyed his evening spent talking with the Doctor and debating all the deepest mysteries of the universe in that old, familiar rapport they had developed after so many evenings dancing through hypotheticals and theories with only their words. He especially liked that- this time- talking to the Doctor in person meant she could take his hand as they spoke and he could sleep off his concussion with her at his side.

As the Master drifted off, he felt a warm sense of accomplishment in his hearts. Maybe O really _had_ been the ideal version of himself, the perfect human to fit all the Doctor's wants and needs. However, the Master took a deep pride in knowing that it was the _real him_ the Doctor cared for... rather than that imposter O.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End!  
> This was so much fun to make but I'm not 100% content with it. Still, that's alright. This was fun lol
> 
> Also yes, welcome to me absolutely making thematic parallels between characters wanting to be accepted despite their differences and flaws. Not to mention my attempt to play with the definition of what an imposter is. I tried to be clever. Hopefully you can see what I was going for. The imposter's the killer on the ship but the Master playing O was also an imposter in a way because an impostor pretends to be someone else for their own gain by definition?
> 
> Well anyways. If you read this THANK YOU SO MUCH!  
> I appreciate feedback always. I LOVE getting comments! I'm especially curious to know things like who you suspected the killer(s) would be and WHY. I know I didn't get too in-depth with all the characters, but they were going to get killed anyways and I didn't want to drag on the story. Plus I figured people really aren't reading for a bunch of OCs of course. If I did just a murder mystery that WASN'T focused on only two characters I would do a lot more to develop the world.
> 
> Anyways. Thanks again! I hope this was something worth reading <3  
> Happy Halloween or whatever day it is when you're reading this on lol  
> Goodnight :)


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